Hadran: Advancing Talmud Study for Women

Rav Chisda rules that anyone who destroys or eats priestly gifts (zero’a, lechayayim, keva) prior to distribution is exempt from financial restitution, whether derived from the word “zeh” in the verse or because these gifts constitute property with no specific claimant (mamon she-ein lo tove’in). The Gemara raises seven challenges from various Tannaitic sources (including rulings on other priestly gifts and poor-person’s gifts)—some directed against Rav Chisda’s overall exemption from restitution, and others against the explanation that it constitutes property with no specific claimant. The Gemara resolves all of these challenges, upholding Rav Chisda’s position.

The Gemara then turns to evaluate whether Levites are obligated to give priestly gifts when slaughtering their own non-sacred animals. Rav remains in doubt as to whether Levites are legally included in the biblical description of “from the nation” (me’et ha-am) or whether their tribe’s distinct status exempts them from giving matanot; consequently, while Levites are technically obligated to give them, this obligation cannot be legally enforced against them. The Gemara presents three challenges against Rav’s uncertainty from explicit braitot, but answers all of them, leaving Rav’s underlying doubt intact.

Mareimar rules halakhically in accordance with both Rav Chisda and Rav’s doubt.

Finally, Ulla permitted giving priestly gifts to a kohen’s daughter, even if she is married to an Israelite. Rava challenges Ulla’s ruling from the laws regarding the meal-offering (minchah) of a kohen’s daughter, which differs from that of a male kohen in that it is not completely burned on the altar, demonstrating that her status as a priestess is not entirely identical.

The Mishna rules that the priestly gifts of the foreleg, cheeks, and abomasum (zeroa, lechayayim, v’keiva) apply both in the Land of Israel and abroad, during the Temple period and after its destruction, regarding non-sacred animals (chullin), but not consecrated animals (mukdashin). Although a logical inference (kal v’chomer) suggests consecrated animals should require gifts since they require the breast and thigh (chazeh v’shok), scripture excludes them by specifying that kohanim receive from consecrated animals only what is explicitly written in that context because of the limiting word “otam”. The Mishna differentiates between two cases of animals with blemishes based on the underlying nature of their sanctity. In the first category, if a permanent blemish preceded consecration, the animal only attains monetary sanctity (kedushat damim); once redeemed, it remains obligated in priestly gifts and firstborn animal (bechora), and its shearing, work, offspring, and milk are permitted. In the second category, if consecration preceded the permanent blemish, the animal possesses intrinsic bodily sanctity (kedushat haguf). Even after redemption, the animal is exempt from priestly gifts and bechora, its shearing and work remain forbidden, and its offspring and milk are prohibited.

Analyzing the Mishna, the Gemara asks how one could have even thought that consecrated animals (kodshim) might be obligated in priestly gifts (matanot), given that non-sacred animals (chullin) initially seem to possess various unique severities. After addressing a slew of suggestions for stringency, they ultimately establish that no true element of stringency exists in chullin that does not also exist within the broader category of kodshim, it validates the need for a scriptural derivation. Conversely, the Gemara asks whether chullin should be obligated in the breast and thigh (chazeh v’shok) through a reverse kal v’chomer, since chullin possess the obligation of matanot which kodshim lack. Although the Gemara initially attempts to exclude chullin from chazeh v’shok using the word “zeh” in “v’zeh yihyeh mishpat hakohanim”, it rejects this derivation and prefers to explain the reason for the exemption based on the fact that waving (tenufah) is practically impossible for chullin: performing it outside violates the requirement of “lifnei Hashem”, while performing it inside violates the prohibition against bringing non-sacred items into the Temple courtyard (chullin ba’azara).

With “zeh” freed from excluding non sacred items from the law of chazeh v’shok, it is applied to Rav Chisda’s ruling that one who damages or consumes priestly gifts prior to their distribution is exempt from financial restitution. The Gemara explains that this exemption is either derived directly from the word “zeh” in the verse, or an alternative reasoning is brought—that priestly gifts constitute property with no specific claimant (mamon she’ein lo tove’in).

The Gemara presents several challenges against the second explanation of Rav Chisda’s exemption from restitution and some against Rav Chisda’s exemption.

A braita rules that if one cuts an olive-bulk of flesh from a limb attached to a living animal, designating it for food only after cutting renders it pure, whereas designating it prior to cutting renders it susceptible to food impurity, as it touches the limb (which has high level impurity) as it is being cut. The Gemara presents Rav Asi’s challenge to Rabbi Zeira as to why prior designation causes impurity, given that the cut site is a concealed place (tumat beit ha-satarim) and concealed impurity does not transmit impurity. Rava clarifies that the case involves a situation where liquids (hechsher) came upon it and Rabba bar Rav Chanan questions that, noting that it should not even require hechsher under the rule of an item destined to transmit severe impurity does not need hechsher, since here it came from a limb with a high level of impurity. Rava responds with a fundamental principle that when food functions as a connection or for a purpose other than food, it is considered “when used, it functioned like wood” and thus the rule of “destined to transmit severe impurity” does not apply. The Gemara presents five challenges that are resolved by applying this same explanation – “when used, it functioned like wood.”

Returning to the Mishna dealing with a dangling limb and flesh on an animal, the Gemara asks for the rationale of Rabbi Shimon, who rules them pure in the case of the animal’s death, challenging his view as completely illogical. The Gemara suggests that Rabbi Shimon disagrees with the reisha (opening clause) of the Mishna when the animal is still alive, based on Rabbi Yochanan’s explanation that Rabbi Shimon derives from scripture “מכל אשר יאכל”  that food is defined as such only if you can feed it to others; since a dangling limb or flesh from a living animal is forbidden to consume even for non-Jews, it cannot transmit food impurity. However, Rabbi Zeira raises a difficulty, explaining that if Rabbi Shimon disagrees with that case, it is because the flesh and limb are still somewhat attached, as learned from a Mishna in Uktzin (3:8). Thus, Rabbi Yochanan’s explanation of Rabbi Shimon’s view must apply to another case. The Gemara suggests it might apply to the metzi’ata (middle clause) where the animal was slaughtered, but this resolution is also difficult. In light of these difficulties, the Gemara returns to understand Rabbi Shimon’s statement and Rabbi Yochanan’s explanation, concluding that they actually refer to the seifa (final clause), not regarding the dangling limb (from which the difficulty was raised), but rather regarding the dangling flesh.

The Mishna discusses a dangling limb and flesh on a living human, ruling that they are pure during the person’s lifetime. Upon the person’s death, the flesh is pure from food impurity, while the dangling limb transmits impurity as a limb from a living person, but not as a limb from a corpse, according to Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Shimon considers it pure.

The Gemara again challenges Rabbi Shimon’s view in the same manner as before. As a first resolution, it explains that Rabbi Shimon disagrees with a general underlying premise of Rabbi Meir’s view. Subsequently, however, the Gemara successfully understands Rabbi Shimon’s position in a different manner, based on a Mishna in Eduyot 6:3.